Islamic cleric Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir has praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Muslim Muslim ticket and told Muslims to use their votes to maintain their political strength, while referring to Christians who oppose the arrangement as infidels.
Jingir made the remarks at a political event in Kano organised in support of Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
The cleric argued that the victory of Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima in the 2023 presidential election showed that Muslims are more popular and politically stronger than Christians in Nigeria.
Jingir said the Muslim Muslim ticket had proved that Muslims could unite behind two Muslim candidates and win a presidential election.
He urged Muslims to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards and use their votes to protect that political strength in future elections.
During the speech, Jingir told his audience to show the infidels their limit. In the context of his remarks, he was referring to Christians who oppose the Muslim Muslim ticket.
Jingir also praised Tinubu for choosing Shettima as his running mate and described the President as his political hero for promoting the Muslim Muslim arrangement.
He said he was a strong supporter of Muslim Muslim tickets and urged Muslims to continue supporting the arrangement in future elections.
The cleric also argued that without the Muslim Muslim ticket, Christians would believe they were more numerous than Muslims in Nigeria. He pointed to the 2023 election as evidence that Muslims had demonstrated their political strength.
The remarks were made in the presence of senior political figures, including governors.
A report on the event said the governors of Kano, Katsina and Jigawa were present and were seen laughing and smiling while Jingir made his remarks about the Muslim Muslim ticket and Christians.
The presence and reaction of the governors have added to the attention surrounding the speech, particularly because the comments were made at a political gathering involving senior elected officials.
Jingir’s remarks have now placed the Muslim Muslim ticket back at the centre of Nigeria’s political debate ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Muslim Muslim ticket became a major issue during the 2023 presidential election when Tinubu selected Shettima as his running mate. Their victory made them Nigeria’s first Muslim Muslim presidential ticket to win the presidency since the return to democratic rule in 1999.
Jingir’s latest comments have renewed the argument over whether future presidential tickets should continue with two Muslim candidates or reflect Nigeria’s religious diversity through a Muslim Christian combination.
The debate is particularly sensitive among Christians, who have raised concerns about political inclusion and the security of Christian communities in parts of Nigeria affected by attacks by Islamist extremist groups.
The controversy surrounding Jingir’s speech is expected to add further pressure to the religious debate surrounding the 2027 presidential election as political parties and religious groups begin preparing for the next election.
